Railroad-signal



(No ModeLj 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

J. A. ROGERS.

RAILROAD SIGNAL.

-No. 510,297. PatentedDe c. 5, 1893.

Witt 9685 ms NATIONAL LnkoaRAPmNa COMPANY.

WASHINGTON, m e

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN A. ROGERS, OF HARTSELLS, ALABAMA.

RAI LROAD-SIGNAL.

I SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 510,297, dated December 5, 1893.

Application filed March 23. 1893. Serial No. 467,325. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN A. ROGERS, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Hartsells, in the county of Morgan and State of Alabama, have invented a new and useful Railway-Signal, of which the following is a specisists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:Figure 1 is a perspective view of a railway signal constructed in accordance with this invention, showing the operators table in elevation at a distance from the signal. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the signal showing the red or danger signal arm, from one side, disposed back of the stationary signal board or inclosed within the housing for the movable signal arms;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the red or danger signal arm drawn to a position which lowers the other movable signal arm into an operative position. Fig. 4 is a detail in perspective of the upper end of thesignal tower or pole with one set of signal arms out of operative position, and showing more clearly the manner of turning the lamp shelf out of position. Fig. 5 is a horizontal sectional View on the line oc-m of Fig. 2. Figs. 6 and? are details in elevation of a set of the movable signal arms.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, A represents a signal pole of a suitable height which is arranged in convenient proximity to a railway sothat the signals displayed from the pole can be readily seen by trains moving in either direction thereof. The said pole is cut away at both sides of its upper end to form separate signal housings B, inclosed at the sides by the stationary signal boards 0, which are painted white, so that when the signaldevices are entirely Within the housings, such signal boards will be the ordinary conventional indication that the track isclear in the direction from which such signal boards alone are displayed.

Extending transversely through the center of the signal board and both housings thereof, is the transverse pivot bolt D, on which is pivotally mounted the hubextremity of the red or danger signal arm E. The red ordanger signal arm E, is painted red on the outside face, which is designed to be disposed to the trains coming in one direction, while its other inside face is painted white, so that when loweredin operative position it willindicate danger to trains coming in one direction, and a clear track to trains coming in the other direction. It is of course understood that there is a movable red or danger signal arm mounted on the pivot bolt D, in each of the housings B, so that the proper signals can be given to trains coming in both directions. The signal arms E, are secured at their inner ends on the metal hubs e, and are provided with outer enlarged signal ends e, which are sufficiently large so as to be seen at some distance by a moving train,and said arms are further provided with the colored lens openings F, in which are placed lenses corresponding to the color of the arm, so that when such arms lower of their own weight intoa horizontal operative position, the lenses thereof are thrown in alignment with the signal lamp G, arranged on the track side of the signal pole, and supported in a suitable position for night use, by the devices to be hereinafter described.

Attached to the bottom edges of the signal arms E, beyond their points of pivotare the weights g, which serve to normally hold the signal arms in an extended horizontal position to the front of the signal pole, so that the same will rest on the lamp shelf (to be described), in alignment with the lamp or in the proper position to be seen by day. The inner, hub ends of the signal arms E, are provided with the wire grooves H, in which are arranged the operating wires 71., attached at.

one end to such signal arms, so that when the wires are drawn, the signal arms can be lifted out of their horizontal positions and drawn behind the stationary signal boards 0, or at least within the housings. The signal arms E, are further provided near their outer extremities with the off-standing stop pins I, which, when said signal arms are drawn within the housings, are designed to come in contact with the supplemental normally-hid signal arms J. The signal arms J, are also provided with metal hubs i, which work on the stationary pivot bolt D, so that they can readily turn on such pivot bolt.

The signal arms J, are extended to both sides of their hubs to form the elongated signal ends j, which are designed to give the proper day signal, and the opposite short lens ends K, which carry a lens the color of the arm, and adapted to be brought in alignment with the lamp G, when lowered into a horizontal position, so as to give a proper night signal. Extended from the short lens ends K, of the signal arms J, are the weight rods L, on which are adjustably mounted the balance weights M, held in any adjusted position on said rods by means of the set screws m. The weights M, serve to over-balance the elongated signal ends j, and the weight of the signal arms E when reversed and also hold the signal arms J, in a normal vertical position inclosed within the housings B, and resting at one edge against the inwardly projecting stop pins N, which preventsuch signal arms from exposing their elongated signal endsj, at the front or lamp side of the signal pole. The signal arms J, are painted green on one side and have green lenses so that their signal is to indicate passengers, while the insides of said signal arms are also white to correspond with the white sides of the signal arms E. Now it will be apparent that in order to bring the overbalanced signal arms J, into an operative position, it is only necessary to continue to draw on the wires It, so that the signal arms E, will be drawn out of the housings B, from the rear side of the signal pole, and owing to the stop-pins I, bearing against one side of the signal arms J, the latter arms will be drawn down into a horizontal position,

the signal arms E, being then hid behind the signal arms J. When the wires h, are released,

the weighted ends of the signal arms J, carry.

such arms,as well as the signal arms E, back into the housings, until the arms J, strike the stop pins N, and then stop, the arms E, continuing by reason of their own Weight to fall automatically into their front extended positions, it the wires are relieved snfticientl y and it is necessary to give such signals.

The operating wires h, which control the movable signal arms, pass over suitably arranged pulleys O, at one side of the signal pole near its base and are connected at their free ends to the operating levers P, arranged side by side in the operators table 13, arranged at a convenient point. The levers P,are pivoted at their lower ends at p, to pivot blocks, and carry the spring dogs Q, which are adapted to work into the notches of the segments R, arranged on the operators table, so as to provide means for holding the signals in any set positions, and so that by giving the notches an indicating color corresponding to the signals, the operator can readily see what signals are exposed. A flag B, may also be attached to the operating levers to indicate what set position the signals are in.

It will be apparent that when the signal arm E, is extended,it will give the red danger signal by day as well as by night, from one side of the signal pole, but will expose white at the opposite side of the pole if both of the signal arms E, are not extended. Assuming one of the red signal arms to be employed, if that signal arm is carried back into the housing, the entire signal pole will show white by day as well as by night to indicate a clear track, while if the other movable signal arms are drawn out of the housings, the operator can indicate to the engineer of the train by reason of the green passenger color which he exposes, that he has passengers. Thus it will be seen that, by properly controlling thesignals, trains can be easily and understandingly signaled from both sides of the signal pole.

The lamp G, is-adapted to be seated on the movable lamp shelf or bracket S, which is provided at each side with the cushioned rests s, on which the signal arms E,are designed to be supported in their extended positions, and striking thereon are prevented from being unnecessarily jarred. The movable lamp shelf or bracket S, is further provided with an upwardly extending retaining tongue 8 that is adapted to receive a correspondingly shaped socket t, formed in the bottom of the lamp, so that when the lamp is lowered onto the shelf or bracket it cannot possibly become displaced. The shelf or bracket S, is secured on the upper endof the vertical rock shaft U, journaled at one side of the signal pole and provided at its lower end with a cranku, which takes over'the staple V, and is held in a locked position by means of a suitable lock 1;, engaging said staple.

Thelamp G, is provided at the top with an eye which is designed to receive the lifting hook W, at one end of the lifting cord to,

which passes over a suitably arranged guide pulley X, at the top of the signal pole while the free end thereof is convenienttothe operator. It will beclear that by reason of the lamp support and lifting device described, the necessity of climbing to the top ofthe pole to reach the lamp is avoided. In order to lower the lamp to the ground, the same is lifted above the shelf S, and said shelfthrown to one side of the signal pole by turning the crank it, so that the lamp can be then lowered. In placing the lamp in position, the same is lifted sufficiently high so that the shelf or bracket can be returned to its position in front of thesignal pole and the lamp then lowered thereon.

Changes in the form, proportionand the minor details of construction as embraced within the scope of the appendedclaims may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a railway signal, a signal pole having separate signal housings at its upper end and inclosed at the outer sides by stationary signal boards 0, separate sets of different length signal arms pivotally mounted Within the separate housings, the shorter of said arms being exposed and the longer arms be ing hid in their normal over-balanced positions, and means for simultaneously shifting the signal arms of each set in a direction opposed to the fall of the overbalancing weights, substantially as set forth.

2. In a railway signal, the combination of the signal pole having signal housings at its upper end and a rest at one side, a centrally arranged stationary pivot bolt, overbalanced short signal arms pivoted on said bolts and normally resting on said side rest and having oft-standing stop-pins, longer signal arms pivoted alongside of the shorter arms and having weighted ends holding the same normally within the housings, and the operating wires attached to one end of the shorter signal arms, substantially as set forth.

3. In a railway signal, a signal pole having opposite stationary signal boards 0 at its upper end, separate sets of movable signal arms pivoted on a single pivot in the space inclosed between said stationary signal boards and carrying overbalancing Weights, the signal armsof each set being of diiferent lengths, and said movable signal arms having colored lenses, weights for-normally holding the arms of each set exposed and hidden respectively the lamp adapted to be supported at one side of the signal pole, and means for simultane- V ously shifting the position of the signal arms of each set in a direction opposed to the fall of the weights, substantially as set forth.

4. In a railway signal, the signal pole having opposite stationary signal boards at its upper end, the stationary pivot bolt connecting said stationary signal boards, short signal arms pivotally mounted at their inner ends on said bolt and having colored lenses, weights on one edge to normally hold the same extended from the pole, and oft-standing stop pins, supplemental longer signal arms pivoted on said bolt alongside of the short signal arms and having weighted lens ends normally holding the supplemental arms behind the stationary signal boards, the signal lamp, and operating wires attached to the pivoted ends of the short signal arms and adapted to carry the ofi-standing stop pins onto the supplemental signal arms to lower said arms into an operative position, substantially as set forth.

5. In a railway signal, the signal pole having signal housings at its upper end and a lamp rest atone side, weighted signal arms pivoted at their inner ends within said housings and adapted of their own weight normally to be extended to the front and to rest on said rest, said signal arms having inner grooved ends and off standing stop pins, supplemental signal arms pivoted within the housings alongside of the other signal arms and having elongated signal ends and lens ends, said lens ends carrying adjustable weights normally holding the supplemental arms in a vertical hid position, the signal lamp, and operating wires attached to the inner grooved ends of the weighted signal arms and adapted to carry the off-standing stop pins onto the supplemental signal arms to lower the same into a horizontal operative position, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN A. ROGERS.

Witnesses:

S. B. BRADLEY, P. O. BRADLEY. 

